Chris Christie on Abortion

I'm pro-life with exceptions; take it or leave it

Q: Would you sign the abortion pledge going around the Republican field?

A: I haven't seen the abortion pledge, I don't know what it says.

Q: Only pro-life people working for you; a promise to back anything that coincides with the life agenda;
defunding public payments for abortion across the board.

A: Here's my position on it. My name's the name on the ballot. I am pro-life, I believe in exceptions for rape, incest and the life of the mother. That's my position, take it or leave it.

Source: Interview on NBC "Meet the Press"
, Jun 26, 2011

Life is precious and should be protected

Q: On abortion, quite controversially for a New Jersey governor, you came out strongly against it, a pretty liberal state when you became Governor?

A: I just told people about it right up front. I'm pro-life, I believe in exceptions for rape, incest, and the life of the mother, but I do believe that life is precious and should be protected.

Source: Interview on CNN "Piers Morgan Tonight"
, Jun 15, 2011

"Default pro-choice" until hearing 13-week fetal heartbeat

Q: You developed your pro-life position firmly when your wife was 13 weeks pregnant?

A: I heard a heartbeat. I had been pro-choice before that. I would call myself before that a kind of a non-thinking pro-choice person, kind of the default position.
When my wife was pregnant with our daughter Sarah, who is now fifteen, we happened to go to one of the prenatal visits at 13 weeks. My wife didn't look at all pregnant at that point, visibly, and we heard this incredibly strong heartbeat.
As I was driving back to work I said to myself you know, under my position on abortion I would say that a week ago that wasn't a life. I heard that heartbeat, that's a life. It led to me having a real reflection on my position and when
I took time to reflect on it I just said you know what? I'm not comfortable with that anymore, that was back in 1995, and I've been pro-life ever since.

Source: Interview on CNN "Piers Morgan Tonight"
, Jun 15, 2011

Pro-life; the life of every human being is precious

I am pro-life. Hearing the strong heartbeat of my unborn daughter 14 years ago at 13 weeks gestation had a profound effect on me and my beliefs. The life of every human being is precious.
We must work to reduce abortions in New Jersey through laws such as parental notification, a 24-hour waiting period and a ban on partial-birth abortion.